NBI Technical Reports: Wetlands and Biodiversity series Sudd Wetland Economic Valuation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Green Infrastructure Planning and Development WRM /WBS-2020-03 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................................... v ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................................................. vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................... 1 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 5 1.1. Background and Rationale to the Study ......................................................................................... 5 1.2. Objectives of the Study ..................................................................................................................... 7 1.3. Scope of the Study ............................................................................................................................ 8 1.4. Significance and target audience of the Study ............................................................................. 11 2. OVERVIEW OF WETLAND AND RELATED POLICIES AND STRATEGIES IN SOUTH SUDAN .......... 12 2.1. Post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ................................................................ 14 2.2. Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) ........................................................ 14 2.3. The Interim National Constitution of Southern Sudan, 2005 (ICSS) ..................................... 15 2.4. The Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011 (TCRSS) .................... 16 2.5. The National Development Strategy of South Sudan (2018-2021) ....................................... 16 2.6. The South Sudan Development Plan (SSDP) (2011 – 2013 and later extended to 2016) ... 17 2.7. The Republic of South Sudan National Adaptation Programs of Action (NAPA) to Climate Change 2016 .......................................................................................................................................... 18 2.8. The National Biodiversity Legislation ..................................................................................... 19 2.8.1. The Environmental Protection Bill 2013 ......................................................................... 20 2.8.2. The Wildlife Conservation and Protected Areas Bill 2015 ............................................. 20 2.8.3. The Draft Wildlife Bill 2013 .............................................................................................. 20 2.8.4. The Forests Bill 2009 ........................................................................................................ 21 2.8.5. The Water Bill 2013 .......................................................................................................... 21 2.8.6. Draft National Environment Policy 2013 ........................................................................ 21 2.8.7. The South Sudan Wildlife Conservation and Protected Area Policy (Draft of June 2012) 21 2.8.8. The Environmental Policy and the Environmental Protection Bill (Draft January 2010) 22 2.9. Current Policies and Legislation .............................................................................................. 22 2.9.1. The Land Policy ................................................................................................................. 23 2.9.2. The Water Policy ............................................................................................................... 24 2.9.3. The Forestry policy 2014 .................................................................................................. 24 i 2.9.4. Minerals law and policy .................................................................................................... 24 2.9.5. Fisheries policy .................................................................................................................. 25 2.10. Concluding Remark on the Enabling Environment for Wetlands in South Sudan ........... 26 3. OVERVIEW OF THE SUDD WETLAND IN SOUTH SUDAN .............................................................. 28 3.1. The Sudd Wetland .......................................................................................................................... 28 3.2. Ecological Features of the Sudd Wetland ..................................................................................... 30 3.3. Current Land Uses .......................................................................................................................... 33 4. METHODOLOGY................................................................................................................................. 35 4.1. Sources of Data .......................................................................................................................... 35 4.2. Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) .............................................................................................. 35 4.3. Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) ......................................................................................... 36 4.4. Assessing ecosystem services and trends ............................................................................... 36 4.5. Assessing Costs and Benefits of alternative wetland interventions ...................................... 41 5. STAKEHOLDER IDENTIFICATION AND MAPPING ............................................................................. 49 5.1. Stakeholder on the Sudd wetland and their respective roles and interests .............................. 49 5.2. Stakeholders for each ecosystem services from the Sudd wetland............................................ 53 6. LAND USE AND LAND COVER CHANGE OVER SUDD WETLAND OF SOUTH SUDAN: A REMOTE SENSING AND GIS PERSPECTIVE ............................................................................................................. 57 6.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 57 6.2. Location of the Study Area ............................................................................................................. 57 6.3. Data and Methods ........................................................................................................................... 58 6.3.1. Land cover data ....................................................................................................................... 58 6.3.2. Study Area Data Sources ......................................................................................................... 59 6.4. Results and Discussion ................................................................................................................... 59 6.4.1. Multi- Temporal Land use Landover of Sudd Wetland ........................................................ 59 6.4.2. Land Use Land Cover Change Detection of SUDD Wetland .................................................. 62 6.4.3. Recent Year Multi- Temporal Land use Landover of Sudd Wetland ................................... 64 6.4.4. Scenarios Development of SUDD LULC.................................................................................. 67 7. THE TOTAL ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE WETLAND .......................................................................... 69 7.1. Provisioning Ecosystem Services .................................................................................................. 70 7.2. Cultural Services ............................................................................................................................. 72 7.3. Regulation Service of the Wetland ................................................................................................ 73 7.4. Biodiversity Services of the Wetland ............................................................................................ 74 ii 7.5. Scenarios on the Total Economic Value of the Wetland .............................................................. 80 8. ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS FOR SUDD WETLAND .................................................... 83 8.1. The Status Quo Versus Wise Management and Utilization of the Wetland ............................... 84 8.1.1. Wise Utilization of the Wetland .............................................................................................. 84 8.1.2. Sustainable and Climate Resilient Local Livelihood ............................................................. 85 8.1.3. Community Water, Sanitation and Hygiene .......................................................................... 87 8.2. The Status Quo Versus the Green Development Path .................................................................. 88 8.2.1. Building Institutions, Capacity and Conservation Awareness ............................................. 89 8.2.2. Green Infrastructure Development ........................................................................................ 89 9. CONCLUSIONS